The Indy 500 Guide Blog

What’s your favorite day of the month of May? (Aside from Race Day itself, of course).

We thought it might be fun to rank the best gems of the days leading up to the Indianapolis 500. Keep in mind that it’s not a scientific list, but completely subjective.

So, without further ado, let’s get started:

THE TOP TEN DAYS OF MAY AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY:

10. Freedom 100 practice and qualifying day (Thursday, May 26). This is your chance to see the future stars of the IZOD IndyCar Series sortthings out.

9. Fast Friday (Friday, May 20). The day before Pole Day qualifying is when you really see what drivers and teams have. Not that they’ve been sandbagging all week, mind you, but late in the day on Fast Friday is when they put all the cards on the table.

8. First practice day (Saturday, May 14). This is like the first pitch of spring training for baseball fans. It’s the first sound of engines and the first whiff of spring. Take it all in.

7. Balloon Festival (Saturday, May 7). If you haven’t taken the time to see this, it’s worth the effort. Hundreds of hot-air balloons launch from the grounds the weekend before everything starts on track, commemorating the first events held at the track back in 1909. It’s breathtaking.

6. American Family Insurance 500 Festival Community Day (Wednesday, May 25). If you have kids, this probably ranks a bit higher than sixth. Everything is open, including the track, for you to enjoy. Drivers are available for autographs, Gasoline Alley is open, and you can take your car for a spin – well, a slow roll, anyway – on the track.

5. Day before Race Day. (Saturday, May 28). One of the best chances for fans to get close to the participants just before the race. In the morning, there’s a public drivers’ meeting that’s open tofans. Not to mention autograph sessions for both the 33-car field and living legends of the 500. Afterward, head downtown and catch the parade.

4. Miller Lite Carb Day (Friday, May 27). This is a treat for the party crowd. Not only does the day include the all-important final practice for the Indy 500, the Firestone Freedom 100 and the Pit Stop Challenge, but it also includes a concert from a top rock ‘n’ roll band.

3. Bump Day (Sunday, May 22). There are times when the bumping on the second day of qualifying is as dramatic as the first day of qualifying, if not more. This is when the real qualifying games begin – and continueright up to the final gun.

2. Pole Day (Saturday, May 21). Some like to argue that Pole Day is nearly as interesting as Race Day. I won’t go that far, but the electricity on the track right before the first car rolls out and the buzz that permeates everything during the final 30 minutes of the day are two of the most dramatic moments in sports.

1. Race Day (Sunday, May 29). If you’re a Hoosier, you’ll get weepy when Jim Nabors sings. If you’re a race fan, you’ve experienced this before. The traditions, the pageantry, the bands and drama. Nothing in sports matches this. It is unique, historic and thrilling.

Here are some historic past winners all on the track.

The award-winning filmmaker behind such giant-screen gems as “The Ultimate Wave” and “Super Speedway” is developing an IMAX 3D movie focused on the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the evolution of motorsports.

The Stephen Low Co. announced the project Tuesday. Low will direct, and his Montreal-based company will produce and distribute the film in association with Ralph Hansen of Pegasus Marketing Group.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials will consult on the movie, a documentary “celebrating the auto racing experience and its historical and enduring connection” to Indianapolis, the company said in a prepared release.

Film crews will have access to the Speedway facility for taping, and IMS staff also will help with an education outreach program to be developed in connection with the movie.

The independent film is expected to be released in October 2011—during the race’s months-long centennial celebration. Low plans to distribute the movie to IMAX theaters worldwide.

“The film will create a memorable and lasting tribute to ‘The Racing Capital of the World’ and its many contributions to society,” IMS CEO Jeff Belskus said in a statement.

Funding is coming from the producers and major corporate sponsorships, the company said.